“This painting captures a solitary farmhouse amidst a vibrant wheat field, showcasing Van Gogh's signature style of thick, expressive brushstrokes that bring the landscape to life with pulsating color and texture.”
A lone farmhouse sits nestled in a sea of golden wheat, its red roof a vibrant counterpoint to the swirling greens and yellows of the field. The heavy impasto (thick application of paint) creates a tangible texture, making the wheat appear to ripple and sway, almost alive in the breeze. Van Gogh painted this scene in Arles, France, a period when his work grew notably brighter in color. The intense sunlight of southern France seems to saturate every brushstroke, giving the entire landscape a pulsating energy. It captures a moment of quiet solitude, yet the dynamic brushwork imbues the humble dwelling and its surroundings with a profound sense of vitality.
- Artist
- Vincent van Gogh
- Date
- 1888
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Van Gogh Museum
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The vibrant red roof of the farmhouse, a stark contrast to the surrounding fields.
The thick, swirling brushstrokes that give texture and movement to the wheat.
The varying shades of green, yellow, and orange that define the field.
The clear, blue sky with subtle hints of white, suggesting a bright day.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Farmhouse in a wheat field — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Vincent van Gogh
1853–1890 · Kingdom of the NetherlandsVincent van Gogh, whose vibrant brushwork and bold colors transformed landscapes and portraits, created 2,100 artworks in just over a decade.
Further Works by van Gogh
Vase with Gladioli and China Asters
1886 · Van Gogh Museum
Agostina Segatori Sitting in the Café du Tambourin
1887 · Van Gogh Museum
Bridge in the rain, after Hiroshige
1887 · Van Gogh Museum
Flowering plum tree, after Hiroshige
1887 · Van Gogh Museum
Self-Portrait with Straw Hat and Pipe
1887 · Van Gogh Museum
Ploughed fields
1888 · Van Gogh Museum
Small pear tree in blossom
1888 · Van Gogh Museum
The Langlois bridge
1888 · Van Gogh Museum
More from Expressionism
More works to explore
Beyond van Gogh and Expressionism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Farmhouse in a wheat field belongs to.
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
Albert (René) Grenier (1858–1925)
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1887 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884
Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
The Seine at Pont de Grenelle
Paul Gauguin · 1875 · Wallraf–Richartz Museum
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Madame Léon Clapisson
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1883 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
Carmelina
Henri Matisse · 1903 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Paris Street; Rainy Day
Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
The Old Guitarist
Pablo Picasso · 1903 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Still Life with Crayfish
Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
Gustave Boyer (b. 1840) in a Straw Hat
Paul Cézanne · 1870 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Landscape from Arles
Paul Gauguin · 1888 · Nationalmuseum
Same movement · Post-Impressionism
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress
Paul Cézanne · 1888 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Woman in the Garden of Monsieur Forest
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1889 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Cows Drinking at a Pool
William Hart · 1886 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Rocks at Port-Goulphar, Belle-Île
Claude Monet · 1886 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Street in Moret
Alfred Sisley · 1890 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Two Girls Reading in a Garden
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1890
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Forêt de Compiègne
Berthe Morisot · 1885 · Art Institute of Chicago




